As the summer comes to an end, the next season begins – the fall film festival season is about to launch this week. Ready to discover what awaits us over these next few months? What will be the stand out discoveries within these line-ups? It’s time to find out! Kicking things off with the 83rd Venice Film Festival which is beginning this week in sunny Italy, along with the 53rd Telluride Film Festival in Colorado – two of the most iconic and important festivals in the world. Then the 51st Toronto Film Festival will continue right through September, before Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX (starting on Sept. 17) and the 64th New York Film Festival in NYC (starting on Sept. 25), continuing with the Zurich Film Festival (on Sep. 24) and London Film Festival (starting on Oct. 7) and many others. This is when all the big new movies and surprise projects they’ve been saving for the end of the year finally make their first appearance. It’s always an exciting time for cinephiles who make the voyages to these cities to discover the latest that the gods of cinema have provided. We’ve been covering these festivals all over the world for the last 20 years in a row – it’s part of who we are. Below is my list of my most anticipated from the line-ups across all of the festivals. I’ll be back in Venice to watch films in Italy – though this list includes many films from each of the fall fests.
The challenge with film festivals nowadays is that it’s impossible to see everything at every festival, and it’s unaffordable to go to every festival all over the world (as much as I wish I could). Each of these fests has its own set of world premieres & special presentations – I decided to pick my own Top 10 Most Anticipated from among the entire set of films debuting this fall. Not just the ones at Venice or Telluride, but a few other hidden gems. Alas, I won’t be able to watch all of these listed as I won’t be able to make it to the Toronto and New York Film Fests. Choosing only 10 films is always a daunting task – I could name 50 films I want to see right now. However, this is always what’s so enticing about festivals, and why I always return every year. Will Bunker be as good as I’m hoping? Or perhaps Alpha Gang will be the surprise hit of the season? Let’s celebrate all of these filmmakers and hope that cinema is still able to impress us and dazzle us even in these turbulent, chaotic, uncertain times we’re living through. Anyway, enough of this rambling, onto the films…
Bunker – directed by Florian Zeller – Venice & TIFF & Deauville
The latest feature film made by acclaimed French filmmaker Florian Zeller, known for his previous films The Father (which everyone loves) and The Son (which everyone seems to hate). Where will this film land? Zeller is serving up another prickly, provocative story which will have everyone talking with Bunker. Which is indeed literally about a bunker that a billionaire wants to build. The film stars real life couple Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem playing a married couple dealing with this bunker project. “When an architect accepts a morally ambiguous project — building a survivalist bunker for a tech billionaire — his wife begins to question their marriage after 17 years together. Bunker is a dramatic thriller that examines the emotional and moral challenges faced by a couple as the anxieties of an increasingly uncertain world begin to reshape their marriage, exploring the fears, doubts, and ethical dilemmas that define our time.” That is an intriguing premise and I’m certainly excited to watch these 2 exceptional actors on screen. I think it’s going to be good.
Tenzing – directed by Jennifer Peedom – Telluride & TIFF & Zurich
This is one of my most anticipated films of the entire year! Back in 2015, I fell hard (read my review) for the documentary film titled Sherpa and I had a chance to meet the filmmaker Jennifer Peedom at the 2015 Telluride Film Festival. She has been telling about her dream to make this project ever since then and now 11 years later it’s finally ready to premiere. I cannot wait. Just like Peedom, I feel a calling & connection to the Himalayas and Nepal, and she has been going over there making films for decades. Tenzing is the most exceptionally accurate, definitive version of the original story of Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, who was the first to summit Mount Everest (aka Chomolungma) in 1953 alongside New Zealand climber Edmund Hillary. It’s a major moment in human history, not just for mountain climbing, because it also turned Tenzing Norgay into one of the first globally famous Asians who proved to the world that they were as capable as any other white man. Peedom shot the film on location in Nepal and cast a Tibetan actor, named Genden Phuntsok, to star as Tenzing Norgay, alongside Tom Hiddleston as Edmund Hillary + Willem Dafoe as Col. John Hunt. This is a must watch on the big screen – I just know the cinematography is going to be extraordinary.
Behemoth! – directed by Tony Gilroy – NYFF
Watch out for this! Yes it’s easy to say that Behemoth! looks like this year’s Tar, but that’s a comparison I’m totally fine with. And if it’s anywhere near as good as Tar (which played at Venice 2022), that’s also something to celebrate. Aside from the fact that Michael Clayton is one of my all-time favorite films, and this is made by the same filmmaker Tony Gilroy, he has also explained in interviews that this is a passion project. Gilroy has loved movie scores his entire life and he wanted to be a composer / conductor before his career sent him into screenwriter / filmmaking instead. Behemoth! (which is the name of the film that the main character is scoring) follows a musician from a family of musicians who returns home to Los Angeles to start his career in movie scores. It’s “a love letter to the music of the movies and the people who make it” starring Pedro Pascal as Alex Serian. I’m also excited by the idea that film features music created by “The Behemoth! Collective” – a group of 9 terrific composers: Michael Abels, Emily Bear, Lukas Frank, Michael Giacchino, James Newton Howard, Henry Jackman, Nami Melumad, Brandon Roberts, and Alan Silvestri.
Possible Love – directed by Lee Chang-dong – Venice & TIFF & NYFF & Zurich
Another new film from an acclaimed filmmaker we haven’t seen anything from in a while! Possible Love is Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong’s latest feature film in 8 years, since last bringing us Burning in 2018 (which is a brilliant film). Easily one of my most anticipated films premiering soon at the 2026 Venice Film Festival before it tours to every other fest (NYFF, TIFF, Telluride) then hits theaters/Netflix later in the fall. Yet another fascinating film from Lee Chang-dong examining social classes and their struggles in Korea and how different people live their lives and interact together. Starring Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung, and Cho Yeo-jeong, the film follows the intertwined lives of two married couples leading completely opposite lives. The two couples are a laid-off worker and his spouse, and a documentary filmmaker and her spouse — crossing paths to film a documentary and facing their different lives and hidden desires. It doesn’t bother me that this is being released by Netflix, it’s going to be one of the highlights of this fall fest season.
The Debut – directed by Jesse Eisenberg – Telluride & TIFF & NYFF & London
Jesse Eisenberg’s next film! Need I say anything more? This looks like it gets intense! Even if you weren’t totally over the moon for his previous films When You Finish Saving the World or A Real Pain, there’s still something always compelling about Jesse Eisenberg as a filmmaker. And it remains fascinating to see him exploring original stories like this one. The Debut is once again written and directed by Eisenberg, and he also stars in it, but not as one of the main characters. He directs Oscar winner Julianne Moore and the iconic Paul Giamatti in a dark comedy about a bored suburban housewife who finds purpose in acting in community theatre. Moore plays the woman who suddenly finds her calling in acting, while Giamatti plays the hard-headed theatre director who “sees a spark in Mona and pushes her to test the limits of what she can bring to the role. Which she does, obsessing over nailing her first performance.” I’m quite excited to see where the story goes (is it about going too far with method acting?) and how the rest of it plays out. Awards pundits are already putting Julianne Moore at the top of the list to win Best Actress at the Oscars next year.
Godzilla Minus Zero – directed by Takashi Yamazaki – NYFF
This one breaks out beyond just film festivals – it’s one of my most anticipated movies in the rest of 2026! It’s going to be awesome! In a major surprise, Godzilla Minus Zero is world premiering at the prestigious 2026 New York Film Festival. Aside from the fact that it deserves a festival premiere anyway, my guess is that Godzilla comes to New York and thus it’s a perfect fit for a NYFF premiere (there is that one quick shot in the first teaser of Godzilla marching past NYC’s Statue of Liberty). Everyone knows how amazing Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One turned out (winning the Best VFX Oscar in 2024) and I have a feeling he’s confident enough now to top himself. Yamazaki has brought back the entire cast from the original, featuring Ryûnosuke Kamiki as Kôichi, Minami Hamabe as Noriko, and Miou Tanaka as Captain Hotta, plus there’s rumors that Godzilla might be enticed to help defeat another kaiju adversary that appears. With the right support & budget, it seems like Godzilla Year Zero could seriously live up to the first movie or turn out even better – all this makes me hyped for its monstrous premiere at NYFF in late September. Who’s going?
Alpha Gang – directed by David & Nathan Zellner – Telluride & TIFF
The Alpha Gang is coming to town! The filmmaking duo of the Zellner Brothers, featuring David Zellner & Nathan Zellner, are back with their latest wacky fun original creation – Alpha Gang. They last rocked the cinema world with their hilarious bigfoot comedy Sasquatch Sunset and are ready to launch this next: a sci-fi comedy about aliens who arrive on Earth and dress up as a 50s biker gang to try and fit in (see the photo above). Yep this is going to be bonkers and entertaining! Hopefully! This incredible cast is what seals the deal – featuring: Léa Seydoux, Dave Bautista, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Lily-Rose Depp, Doona Bae, Riley Keough, Chris Pine, and Cate Blanchett. At first they arrive to invade Earth, but once they take the form of humanoids they begin to experience emotions. TIFF explains: “As they experience the pleasures of music and dance, and observe the beauties of the natural world — down to even the smallest ant colony — each becomes far more impacted by Earth than they could have ever expected.” This sounds like exactly my kind of clever sci-fi comedy and I’m so ready to watch this before they’ve even put out any first look footage.
Being Heumann – directed by Siân Heder – TIFF
For the record – I am a big fan of CODA and I really don’t mind that it won Best Picture. It’s a wonderful film with so many amazing performances. It has been five years since then and finally, finally director Siân Heder is back with a new film. Being Heumann is her latest creation – based on the memoir of the same name written by disability activist Judith Heumann: “One of the most influential disability rights activists in US history tells her personal story of fighting for the right to receive an education, have a job, and just be human.” The title has double meaning: it’s “Being Judith Heumann“, but it’s also about “being human” no matter who you are, no matter your disabilities or differences or anything. We’re all human. The story is set in the 1970s following historic 28-day occupation of San Francisco’s Federal Building, uniting protesters in a fight for accessibility laws & equal rights. Starring Ruth Madeley as Judith Heumann, this is premiering as the major Opening Night debut at the 2026 Toronto Film Festival. Definitely one I will be watching out for this season – even if it doesn’t any awards, telling this story is important & inspirational no matter what.
Burgundy – directed by Michael Dweck & Gregory Kershaw – Venice & Zurich
This is being featured on here because I am a huge fan of these terrific doc filmmakers Michael Dweck & Gregory Kershaw, and I love their doc films: so far they’ve made The Truffle Hunters (2020) about truffle hunting doggos in Italy; The Last Race (2018) about stock car racing on Long Island; and their most recent Gaucho Gaucho (2024) about the Guacho cowboys of Argentina. Their latest is debuting at the 2026 Venice Film Festival and also plays at Zurich & Deauville. “The story of Burgundy’s most extraordinary characters and a celebration of the pleasure that defines their lives.” Their focus this time is the wine scene and winery region of Burgundy, France located right in the middle of the country. It is, of course, where burgundy wines come from and it seems this doc will introduce us to the vin connoisseurs & craftsmen of the region. Other than that, I’m off to wherever Dweck & Kershaw go. Their films always feature magnificent cinematography which is what makes them extra engaging to catch during film festivals playing on the big screen. Cheers. 🍷
A Long Winter – directed by Andrew Haigh – Telluride & TIFF & NYFF
With each new film, I’ve become a bigger & bigger fan of director Andrew Haigh – his last film All of Us Strangers (from 2023) is heartbreaking but beautifully made. A Long Winter is another distinct Andrew Haigh film with an interesting premise. Set in Colorado, the film stars Fred Hechinger as a young man on the cusp of adulthood. When his mother disappears in the first blizzard of the season, Mike refuses to give up hope as one long Colorado winter reshapes his relationship with his father and his understanding of the man he is becoming. Also featuring Ebon Moss-Bachrach & Caitríona Balfe as the father & mother in the story. TIFF adds: “Set in the mountains of Colorado and filmed in the breathtaking Canadian Rockies, the vast landscape is both beautiful and unforgiving, mirroring the emotional distance between Mike and his stoic father. Haigh’s patient, intimate filmmaking finds an ideal companion in [co-writer Colm Tóibín’s] measured storytelling, where every silence, glance & gesture carries extraordinary weight.” That intro along with that one snowy shot (seen above) are more than enough to get this film onto my most anticipated list.
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Aside from these 10 films listed above, there are also a handful of films that I want to watch but fall into the category of “I just really hope they’re good.” I’m not as excited about them as I should be right now, I just want them to be very good films. There’s always so many more films to watch! More of them I’m interested in: Werner Herzog’s Bucking Fastard starring the sisters Rooney & Kate Mara; Mike Leigh’s Tender Loving Care (which really should be premiering in Venice!); Chris Rock’s Misty Green (actually looks pretty good); Bassam Tariq’s Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother starring Mahershala Ali (also looks damn good); Danny Boyle’s Ink film of course; Ava DuVernay’s 14th doc which better be hard hitting; Sabu’s Arrested Memory; Alex Gibney’s Musk doc (it’s 4 hours long but I’m hoping it’s damning); Simon Stone’s Elsinore with Andrew Scott; Hans Petter Moland’s Growth of the Soil film from Norway; Rachel Morrison’s Love of Your Life with Margaret Qualley, Aaron Pierre & Gabriel Basso; Kuba Dorabialski’s Agata the Writer experimental film with Mia Wasikowska; and Tom McCarthy’s A Statement with Paul Giamatti & Evan Peters. It’s not showing at any festivals, but I also really do want to see Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Reckoning (maybe it’ll be good?). There are plenty of other discoveries and surprises that I am sure we’ll encounter over the next few months as they premiere at upcoming film festivals around the world.
With the Venice Film Festival beginning now, I’ll be focusing on this festival and keeping an eye on all the others underway soon this season. Venice 2026 runs from September 2nd until September 12th, ending Saturday night with the awards (the Golden Lion winner). Follow my daily coverage and instant reactions on Twitter/X as usual @firstshowing, follow my photography posts as always on Instagram @abillington, follow my reviews on Letterboxd, and check the site for daily updates on films + reviews. Back in 2016, I wrote an essay about Why I Can’t Stop Going to Film Festivals. What I said then is still true. It always is. I’m still totally addicted film festivals, and they still fill me with so much joy and inspiration. Let’s hope some of these films turn out to be all-timers – like Dune and Tar and First Man in the years before. I’m always ready to start watching, hoping for some real discoveries and unforgettable works of cinema that will fascinate us.
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